Wonder how to work catwalk cool into your own closet? Here’s how to translate the trends for real life.

Traditionally, when you think leather, you think fall: coats, skirts, boots, blazers. But leather for spring? Lighten up: It’s a thing. In fact, lots of designers warmed up to the material for the season, as we saw leather skirts from Just Cavalli and Proenza Schouler, leather dresses from Marni and Reem Acra, leather jackets from Miu Miu and Valentino, leather tops from Balmain and Tibi and leather shorts from Hermes and Fendi. Head-to-toe leather? We saw that, too.

“Ever-present as the very essence of cool, leather can look pitch-perfect or punk gone horribly wrong,” style expert Jacqui Stafford writes in her new book “The Wow Factor: Insider Style Secrets for Every Body and Every Budget.” “Every body shape can embrace leather, as its stiffer structure tricks the eye into creating the illusion of the perfect silhouette.”

THE RUNWAY: Milly by Michelle Smith, spring 2013
A metallic silver snakeskin leather skin looks both space-age and sort of athletic when paired with a black mesh top and — what are those? – shop class safety glasses?

A model walks the runway in a shiny leather skirt at the Milly By Michelle Smith spring 2013 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)

A faux cropped jacket, shirt dress and skirt all look cool in leather. (New York and Company, Susanna Monaco, DKNY)

Rock a leather dress. Whether you opt for a little cocktail number or a vampy version of the sheath (so chic!) a spring leather dress will give a shot of glam to drinks out or a business meeting in. Small-busted? “Use leather’s stiff structure to create more curves than you really have,” Stafford advises, suggesting a corset-like bodice. Straight up and down? Embrace a sheath or fitted vest to show off your waist. Susanna Monaco leather dress, $495, shopbop.com

Skirt the issue. Inverted triangle shapes – where you’re broader up top and narrow through the hips – would look fab in a gentle A-line-shaped leather skirt, Stafford writes, as the silhouette “and the fabric’s sheen draw all eyes to your bottom half and lend welcome balance to a bustier top.”
DKNY leather A-line skirt, $208, neimanmarcus.com

Shorten things up. If you’ve logged a zillion miles on the treadmill, you best be showing off those amazing legs. Leather shorts look cool and of-the-moment for spring, especially when paired with a soft and delicate blouse (think lace or a sheer chiffon). And, best of all? Come fall, just wear them over tights.
Alice + Olivia “Eric” leather shorts, $440, aliceandolivia.com